"Thank you, Luke," I whispered, tears of gratitude blurring my vision.
He shook his head, his back still turned towards me. "Don't forget what you promised."
I nodded, a heavy weight settling in my stomach. Luke had proven more reasonable than I'd expected, but it hadn't come without a price. His words held an unspoken threat: R'lissea's life hung in the balance, dependent on my continued usefulness.
The weight of that responsibility pressed down on me, a suffocating darkness. I gasped as a sharp pain pierced my chest, my body trembling. My vision blurred, the edges swirling with shadows.
No, wait… those aren't just shadows. Blackness materialized around me, tendrils of darkness reaching out like grasping claws. The temperature plummeted, and I shivered uncontrollably, my legs threatening to give way. This wasn't just the burden of responsibility; something was wrong, something emanating from my very soul.
